Thoughts on 3ACV15 - I Dated A Robot

[on:]

I thought it was all right overall with a great beginning, but the ending killed it.  They overused the celebrity guest star again, I really hope this won't be a continuing trend.  Anybody else think that last joke with Bender and Lucy Liu's head was lame?


The propaganda film was pretty good, though     I guess I'd give this one a B, and that's being generous.  Not a terrible episode, but not a good way to end the season.  What do you all think?

[This message has been edited by edeltraut (edited 06-03-2001).]

[Reply #1 on:]

I Thought it was very good, until lucy liu's head showed up, The ending joke was very lame.

The episode has some very funny moments in it,  but not enough for me to give it an A;

my rating: B- 

[Reply #2 on:]

this season (along with the others) has proven something to me...Fry needs to get a real girl...

i liked the whole napster mock with kidnappster in the ep 

[Reply #3 on:]

Pros:
Fry's spree at the beginning. The Cowboy Universe (though I hope there's more than just two universes. That would suck.)

The Napster jokes.

The propaganda film. I love those...

The Scary Door. Great, but that's twice now we've opened with it. They have to make sure not to overuse it.

"If you want to see the real vampire, Mr. Mayor, look in the mirror!"
"I can't, I'm a vampire!"

Bender's Archie Bunker imitation.

Cons:
Like Edel said, this was too celebrity-focused. While I happen to like the celebrity in question, she dominated the episode. And that closing joke just sucked.

Overall, this gets three stars from me.

Best line:
"It's strange, you live in the universe, but you never do these things 'til someone comes to visit."

[Reply #4 on:]

once again, i dunno   
I just rewatched the ep and i found it rather great. If you happen not to know the celebrity in question - like me - you don't notice too much of her being promoted in teh ep. I loved the little tiny internet jokes which can only be seen by true nerds - like me - eg: pentagon.web.

OK, these internet scenes didnt quite live up to the one in "A Bicyclops built for two" but it was still great.

The "New Economy" got its great share of mocking ("If you are an investor, drop your money in the black hole over there" *howling wind sound*) and the propaganda film was really great ("And some for attracting the same sex" *DRAMA goes to pieces*). Hilarious stuff.

The quote "And they say illegal copies never hurt anybody" alone made it worth watching this ep.

Given though, the end bit was lame. That costed this ep the 5th star for me.

[Reply #5 on:]

That quote was cool
Bender got a bit too predictable fallin in love with the real lucy

[Reply #6 on:]

It's an ok ep, not as good as the rest but good.

[Reply #7 on:]

I really despise celebrity ass-kissing, but this episode was damn funny. The alternate universe was good, internet could have been better but it wasn't too bad, the napster stuff was good, and the don't date robots video was great. Ending was kinda lame, but what can ya do.

My favorite joke that nobody has mentioned yet: "Would you like to take a moment to register me?"

"Later."

"Ok. Would you like to take a moment to register me?"

"I said LATER."

[Reply #8 on:]

I totally forgot to mention
 

Hey, please, help, pick me up before you gogo

[Reply #9 on:]

NOt a bad episode.  It had me chuckling up until the end.  I rate it somewhere between "Amazon Women in the Mood (second-best episode ever)" and "Bendin' in the Wind (Very mediocre)."  Not the best, but definitely in the top half.

Fav. Lines:
Mommy, why is that man like that?
Don't look at him, honey!

These new hands are great!  I'm gonna break them in tonight!

<Geek>Are you Lucy Liu?
<MadelineAlbright> Sure!

Now there's a wave of destruction that's easy on the eyes!

<Fry>Sorry ladies, employees only.
* Liubot eats sign

<Leela>Zoidberg, open that bag of popcorn!
<Zoidberg>Hooray!
<Leela>And don't eat it!
<Zoidberg>Aww . . .

I'll never forget you, Fry . . . MEMORY DELETED

[Reply #10 on:]

I thought it was funny.  Name me another show that makes internet jokes.  Not perfect though (celebrity praise & so-so storywise).

Farnsworth:  I should've shown him "Electric Gonorrhea, the Noisy Killer" was my fav.. 
And of course, all of Zoidberg's lines.

[Reply #11 on:]

One of my favorite computer jokes in a show was when Homer had his Mr. X Webpage and when he started out he just had 1 page with clunky graphics and annoying sounds.  I could relate SO MUCH to this after seeing so many lame sites with nothing but yanked cheesy images and bells and whistles.  These sites are usually made by beginners and if you've ever seen one you just want to gouge your eyes out with your mouse.

[Reply #12 on:]

This episode was OK, but I wish they would have ended the season with AoI2.  Why, oh why, didn't they show that one?  I was looking forward to it!   

[Reply #13 on:]

Yea, I just watched the episode and I agree with most of you on this.  I thought that the celebrity was way overused and that the joke at the end killed the episode.  However, I still thought that the Nappster and the Kidnappster jokes were really funny.  The Dont Date Robots movie was really funny.  The funniest line of the show though was at the end I think.

"Fry, I will always remember you.. *MEMORY ERASED*"

Overall Grade: B+ 

[Reply #14 on:]

 

Originally posted by Rachel_D:
This episode was OK, but I wish they would have ended the season with AoI2.  Why, oh why, didn't they show that one?  I was looking forward to it!   

Because they're idiots. 

Anyway, onto the episode...not the best ever, but it was okay. I just wish they'd shown AoI 2. What'd I pay for a What-If machine...

Liked:
Fry's, um, activity spree
Seeing the Internet again
All the Nappster jokes
The nerds who worked at Nappster
Liubot

Disliked:
The thought of all that popcorn makes me ill... 

Favorites Quotes:
"Yeah, and Fry'll get to do everything he wants!"
"Everything?"

"Mommy, why is that man like that?"
"Don't look at him, honey!"

"Are you Lucy Liu?"
"Sure!"

Liubout eating the Employees Only sign.

[Reply #15 on:]

This was one of the few episodes I hadn't seen, yesterday I saw it for the first time and it was pretty good, they over used Lucy Lue but there were some great moments like Fry feeding the T-Rex and the E-Bay joke on line was brilliant. Some of the ideas were really good and the propoganda film worked really well although it's a scary thought. Overall I would say this episode is about averidge.

[Reply #16 on:]

*DVD bump*

Yeah I liked this one, not a Lucy Lui fan but I don't think she was over-used too much....
When Fry gets his hands cut off....hilarious I loved it.... 

The "Don't Date Robots" movie was cool, and the Space Pope at the end funny as well....

Kidnappster was clever, the internet nerd was funny....and the popcorn explosion was amazing....

Good all round ep....!

[Reply #17 on:]

This was a pretty good episode and the concept of downloading celebrities for robots gave it a real futuristic feel, which some other Season 3 eps lacked.

 With regards to Lucy Liu, I thought they used her quite well by having her play robotic versions of herself rather than just constantly making jokes based on her celebrity profession (like they did with Beck and Pauly Shore for example  ). Not a lot of people seem to like the ending gag, with Bender's "Don't be a prude, Fry!" hypocritical turn, but I didn't think it was that bad, even if it wasn't the most hillarious joke ever.

 So, overall, solid. But what made this episode funny for me was Eric Kaplan on the DVD commentary, constantly pointing out weird behaviour in the episode.

 "Now...what's going on here? In the 2950s, there's another Marylin Monroe and another 50s? When was this filmstrip created?"

 "The character of Mavis is intriguing in itself. Now she's getting a little worried, she's still watching. She's blinking. She's just standing there watching and presumably Billy's parents are too."

 "Now, who is downloading Cheech for their robot? I'd like to hear a little bit about that person."

 

[Reply #18 on:]

also the fact that popcorn could fly through into the room, rich moore gives the excuse "its   holographic glass."
and i think its eric who asks," So digital movie projection hasn't really caught on"

[Reply #19 on:]

Absolutely loved the 50s-esque propoganda film, for so many reasons.  I also like how so many things with the Lucy Liu-bot were just copy-paste. Like, "I love you more than the moon, and the stars, and the POETIC IMAGE 39 NOT FOUND".  Overall, a fairly amusing episode.  Didn't have me rolling on the ground, but I did get a decent chuckle or two out of it.

[Reply #20 on:]

 

Originally posted by User_names_suck:
also the fact that popcorn could fly through into the room, rich moore gives the excuse "its   holographic glass."
and i think its eric who asks," So digital movie projection hasn't really caught on"

You gotta love the explanations Rich Moore comes up with, be it "holographic glass" or "magic shirts." 

[Reply #21 on:]

Worst....episode....ever...! it's the only episode that id turn off if it was on.

[Reply #22 on:]

Why?

[Reply #23 on:]

i think people have this problem, where there mind automatically closes when a celeberity appears, and when fry is intrested in a woman apart from leela
now i  think about it, the cryonic woman was also unpopular, probably for the same reason

[Reply #24 on:]

You could be onto something there Uns, although the celebrity in I Dated A Robot played a far more crucial role than the celebrity in The Cryonic Woman, no?

[Reply #25 on:]

I enjoyed it. I didn't even know that was really Lucy Liu doing the voice acting. I watch too much South Park so I assume it's all impersonations.   

I think if guys could really download robot girlfriends the human race would end fairly quickly--propaganda videos or no!

[Reply #26 on:]

One thing really bothers me about this episode.  Why Lucy Liu?  We know that Fry didn't watch Ally McBeal, and he couldn't have seen her in that Charlie's Angels movie, 'cause he was frozen before it even came out.  So why would Fry be into her?  How would he even know who she was?

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a good premise, but they probably could have found a better celebrity to use.

[Reply #27 on:]

Just the commentary with alcohol makes the episode great!

Best line from the commentary:

Show spoiler

"Hey Eric, try to control yourself, man, cos you've just gone wild!" (Matt Groening)

Best line from the episode: "Yes, my love, I'll be just -MASSIVE CORN CLOG IN PORT SEVEN."

*does a homer giggle*

I liked it, however I think the commentary is a huge part of that.

B+

[Reply #28 on:]

It kind of doesn't matter if they really are drunk or not, really. Kaplan's comments - just so funny. 

 David A makes a good point though.

[Reply #29 on:]

 

Originally posted by David A:
One thing really bothers me about this episode.  Why Lucy Liu? 

Because they couldn't get Jennifer Lopez.

Really.

[Reply #30 on:]

Jennifer Lopez?   

I guess I should be thankful for Lucy Liu.

[Reply #31 on:]

Ughh . I fuckingg hate this episode ! I mean thaa first 2 times I've watched it , it was okaay but now , I hate it ! :@
They could used a betta celebrity like Aaliyah or Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes .
I mean seriously , who thinks thaat Baby Gurl or Leftie would've look good as a robot ?
I knoow I think so . BTW , rest in peaace 'Liyaah && Left Eye .

[Reply #32 on:]

Uh... Okay 

[Reply #33 on:]

I knooww . It's weird , but it should've happened .  LOOOL

[Reply #34 on:]

Sure, let's use some rappers no one has heard of ever, as opposed to an actress who's had several memorable roles and is also sexy as hell. Yeah, good plan.

[Reply #35 on:]

AaliyahandLeftEye4Eva,

Please stop bumping threads for your unrelated fandom of certain celebrities. Please do feel open to discuss Futurama and your likes/dislikes of certain episodes, beyond the reasons of "[insert your favorite celebrity] wasn't referenced in it." Thanks, and welcome to PEEL.

[Reply #36 on:]

Okaay... neva mind.

[Reply #37 on:]

Sure, let's use some rappers no one has heard of ever, as opposed to an actress who's had several memorable roles and is also sexy as hell. Yeah, good plan.

I thought practically everyone had heard of them? Granted I wouldn't want either in a Futurama episode, not that either ever could now anyways ...

Also, I still agree with my 2001 review; this ep was "averidge" ...

[Reply #38 on:]

Also, I still agree with my 2001 review; this ep was "averidge" ...

Ah, considering the ending, not really. I know that it's not being completely fair, but if the ending is bad - and this one definitely was - that ruins your impression of the whole episode. Same problem with IAGDL.

Lucy Liu's acting career hardly makes her sound like someone I want to know more about. And like the Beck episode, this one had too much celebrity ass kissing and too little Futurama in it.

To be fair, I haven't watched it in a while. That probably won't change because I don't see the point in watching episodes that leave me feel annoyed.

[Reply #39 on:]

It's far better than crappy IAGDL though, leagues ahead of that very poor far below average episode. At least I Dated A Robot had lots of funny and memorable moments. It's been quite a while since I saw it, but recall that it has them visiting the edge of the universe (very clool), Fry blowing up a planet for fun, Fry feeding a dinosaur and getting his hands bitten off (and him advising he'll break his hands back in), a great propaganda film, the first appearance (although not in person) of the Space Pope, them going into the internet (that doesn't happen nearly enough), a whole load of great jokes involving blank robots, a decent Zapp cameo and some great Dr Zoidberg moments. I know I'm forgetting stuff here too...

Sure the ending isn't great and the guest star stuff is a little too prominent, but the plot is decent enough so it's acceptable (kidnapster dates it somewhat yes, but still). There was so many great moments that the ending doesn't totally ruin the episode for me. Did you know this is one of Matt Groening's favourite episodes of all time too? The ending for IAGDL was far worse, and the episode itself was far worse throughout in my opinion so it's far below average. I Dated A Robot is a pretty decent solid ep really, despite a few misgivings...